I appreciate that it’s not exactly tier 0 at the moment.
I just did my own price list for this decklist that topped WCQ NA: https://yugiohtopdecks.com/deck/9712 (I find topdecks as a site to not be reliable when it comes to the cost of the deck, though this one was quite close, estimated at $245!!)
It came out to around $270!! When I consider all of the staples I already own (Triple Tactics Thrust being the big one, along with Triple Tactics Talent, 3 copies of Droll & Lock Bird, 3 copies of Evenly Matched, 3 copies of Gozen Match…), it seems like the cost to build the rest of this deck would be like $150. That’s waaay cheaper than the “optimal” decks I’ve done price checks for.
Is there any better option than this for someone on a budget who wants a deck that’s at least somewhat competitive right now?
Heroes are always very cool, and 245 is honestly pretty cheap nowadays.
Mathmech could be another option maybe? I didn’t do my own price list like you did, but a lot of the lists here look decently competitive: https://yugiohtopdecks.com/decks/Mathmech. Kurikara and Thrust are the biggest expenses, and I feel like both are helpful but not mandatory.